Driftwood Cowboy

Sometimes after finishing a novel, I just have to sit for a moment and let it sink in. That’s how I’m feeling about Driftwood Cowboy. Just letting the beauty of a story well told sink into my heart and mind.

It’s obvious from the first scene in the novel that Michelle is in a world of pain. It’s there in her movements, her distraction and in her instinctive action of running away. It’s also powerful. To anyone who has ever been in a world of pain themselves, you know that feeling.

And Brodie recognized that pain, immediately. I think I fell in love with Brodie at that moment, I didn’t need more than to know “that” about him.

Michelle and Brodie are each in pain and healing in their own ways. Michelle is more obvious, but if you look closely, you can see that Brodie is no stranger to the very same feelings.

This novel is a slow telling of a painful story. It is not a slow moving novel, I don’t mean it in that sense. More of a sit on the porch, letting someone ramblingly tell a story – and sitting back and letting that story flow over you without questions. We get glimpses of Michelle’s pain, and of course we know without being told what has happened. She is a woman whose world has been ripped apart. Someone who doesn’t think they deserve breath, let alone happiness again. She will slowly let go of her ghosts, cautiously rearrange how she views the past in order to even begin to catch a glimpse of a possible future without the constant companionship of pain. It will take time.

Brodie will allow her that time. Oh, there is no doubt in his mind that finally he has stumbled up on his one and only. He certainly isn’t prepared to deal with that or even remotely comfortable with the thought. But there it is. Still, he will have to show the same patience he uses on his driftwood art creations when dealing with this woman in so much pain.

I cannot imagine how you could read this novel and not enjoy the experience. Oh, it’s not a classic, but it is so full of emotions that you could not help but be involved with the telling and the ending. I initially gave this one a 4 star rating – I’m changing that to a 5 star, a rarity for me.

I’m hoping that you’ll give Driftwood Cowboy a chance to work it’s magic on you. If you enjoy a really good love story, can easily put yourself in a character’s place then you will find a treasure here. It launches on March 31, 2015, do yourself a huge favor – pick it up at release. I don’t think you will be the least bit sorry. It’s that good. I’ll be looking for other novels in The Driftwood Bay storyline – I want to know more about this place.

My rating scale = 5 outta 5 = an amazing novel that went far above and beyond the norm.

*I received an e-ARC of Driftwood Cowboy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

A sweet story of two individuals who are injured in life emotionally and find each other. Brodie is just what Louisiana needs to heal her heart and he's ready to grow up to be that man for her. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance with a happy ending.

Brodie and Michelle's story was so very sweet and touching. This was a completely clean romance. The lives that both of these characters have led were tragic in their own way. Brodie and his estranged father have always had a very strained relationship. Throughout the story you learn why and just how strained it really was. Michelle has lost everything she held most dear. Trying to remember who she is and restart her life she heads to driftwood bay to get away from her small town and their gossip.

Worth does an amazing job of writing both of these characters and their struggles, while keeping the romance and humor strong. The ending is so sweet and unexpected, it really just was so perfect for this story. d I will definitely be seeking out more of this author's work.

Michelle, is broken and what appears to be on the run from something. Brodie, has been running his whole life he was and has been completely broken and when he sees Michelle he realizes he is ready to take on the task. the only thing is Michelle needs to heal and has no intention of letting anyone or anything close again. When tragedy strikes it seems that its finally time to let everything out, for both Brodie and Michelle. I have to say this book is amazing for once not just another story built on sexual attraction. I loved the fun characters in the story and I felt like I was catching up with friends not just read a story about people I knew nothing about this book is amazing. you can not go wrong with it.

Michelle is in Driftwood Bay escaping from the tragedy that has her life in pieces. Brodie recognizes in Michelle that painful something. The pacing of Driftwood cowboy and development in Brodie and Michelle's relationship, kept me in the story and hoping to see them with their HEA.

A touching story of two broken souls on a chance encounter. Michelle has come to Driftwood to try and forget her tragic past when she meets Brodie, a self declared beach bum. They have had troubled pasts. I really enjoy how they helped each other heal. Brodie was so patient with Michelle through out the story.

This is a quick read and so much more than a romance. Two kindred souls finding happiness once again in life. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

This book had a profound effect on me. It is not your typical feel good romance novel. It was real life…but a part of life that most of us never have to see. It made me realize that we are all walking on the edge to some extent. A change in circumstance and feelings of hopelessness are sometimes all it takes to throw someone into complete and total despair.

The budding romance between Michelle and Brodie was sweet, as well as heart-wrenching. She was good for Brodie, and he was good for her. They were kindred spirits and broken souls. Could they heal each other?

When it comes to emotions, this book had them in spades. I laughed aloud, held my breath, and nearly cried. It's hard not to fall into Michelle and Brodie’s journey to finding each other but also learning to live with their pasts. This book gripped my heart and didn’t let go. I couldn’t put it down until the end. I am looking forward to reading more from Lenora Worth. I highly recommend!

*An advance reading copy was generously provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

**I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion**

Two lost souls drawn together, lost and weather-beaten. Going through the motions, but not really living life. Neither looking for love, but yet attracted to each other. No pity, no pressure, but yet, they have an understanding, companionship, and respect for each other's silence. She calls to him like a siren, he beckons to her like a cowboy, but yet, each is gun-shy of commitment and love. Facing and accepting grief, making the final choice to live and love--together. A beautiful and well-written story. A must-read!

A good premise, a woman suffering the loss of a child, and a man suffering all the bad breaks throughout his life. They meet, they push each other this way and that, and eventually lead to the requist HEA. It is not a bad book, and it did hold my interest throughout, however it could have been much better. More character development would be nice, and more glimpses of his family (besides the drunk father) would be good. Would recommend.

"Driftwood Cowboy" by Lenora Worth. This was an enjoyable read. To be honest, I wasn't sure at first. I really didn't like Michelle but as the story progressed and the reader learns more about her and her story, she became someone that I cared for. Brodie was terrific - suffering heartache himself and feeling that he was a hard soul, it was wonderful to see the two of them grow and love and heal each other. I would have liked a bit more time spent on Michelle's back story. When it was told, I felt it was quite brief. The ending, for me, was also a bit quick. Overall, I enjoyed this tale and look forward to more from Ms. Worth.

WOW! This story is amazing. It concerns Michelle Lancaster aka Louisiana, trying to recover from the horrendous pain of tragic events in her life by having time alone in Driftwood Bay, Florida. She’s there alone, apart from her much loved horse, Coco, which she rides along the beach. One day she’s riding when her tears prevent her seeing local driftwood artist Brodie Stevens so Coco almost throws her when trying to avoid running into him. She’s actually seen him around but has been trying to avoid him as he’s the only person who seems to break through the ice surrounding her emotionally. He’s also damaged emotionally by his past, sad and in pain. However, now he’s met her he believes together they can help each other heal, he’s also very determined but willing to be patient and not try to rush anything.

This is not your usual romance, it is so much more. It explores grief in an empathetic way, helping the reader relate to the emotions of the characters, their trauma and struggles to let themselves actually feel, to relate and live again. It is written in such a beautiful way that it isn’t a sad story but it is one that will live with readers long after they finish reading it. This is a keeper, a book that you’ll want to revisit not just delete when you’ve read it on your ebook. Highly recommended!

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two lost and broken souls connecting, learning to trust each other, growing together, finding balance, and love, within each other.
The sorrow, sadness, and despair are palpable in Michelle, my heart just went out to her. Brodie seemed like an easy going beach bum, but there was so more into him, and I loved the revelations he was having about himself, Michelle, and about their possible future, right there on the beach when they meet for the first time.
There's so much story fit into this novella. It is an emotional journey, it is raw and real, and it touched my heart, and has stayed with me since I finished it. The growth and healing of the characters as time passes on, and their feelings for each other deepen, is beautiful. It is a 'clean' story, and while the attraction and passion is obvious, I am glad that with all the other issues the characters had to face, the author didn't just add pages with long love scenes, it wouldn't have really fit into this story, anyway. Beautiful story about life, loss, and love
~ Five Spoons

Driftwood Cowboy is the first book in the Driftwood Bay series by bestselling author Lenora Worth. This was a beautifully written story of redemption and forgiveness, something that both the lead characters are searching for. Michelle and Brodie both have pasts that are shadowing them relentlessly, and while Michelle is trying to forgive herself, something she doesn't believe possible, Brodie needs to forgive his parents--his mother for abandoning him and his father for not stepping up and treating him quite terribly.

As a reader, I felt the sense of hopelessness and despair that Michelle was drowning in, totally understandable emotions, and while Brodie looked like he wanted to be the one to save her from all that, he needed to be saved from all the negative emotions, thoughts, and memories still lingering in his own life, courtesy of his father's callousness. There's a lot of pain and heartache that both the lead characters have endured and need to overcome neither is minimized or trivialized throughout the course of the book.

It takes a special kind of author to come up with such an emotional and heartfelt story with two inspiring and courageous characters and then put them all together in a short but sweet package that leaves you filled with hope and faith, and I don't mean purely in a religious sense, though there is that as well. I highly recommend Driftwood Cowboy to anyone that appreciates a beautiful love story and recognizes that some of the best tales are told without fancy distractions. This is a 2015 favorite and gets five-plus stars! ♥

Driftwood Cowboy by Lenora Worth tackles some weighty issues. I must admit this story is not anything like I was thinking it would be like. From the title I thought it would take place in one place such as California and move to Montana but nope, the setting is Florida then ends up in Louisiana. I thought it would be a sweet flirty kind of read, there is flirting but it is not what the book’s main focus.

I felt for both the characters, Brodie and Michelle. Maybe even more so for Michelle, I wanted her to find closure, peace and happiness in her future. I am amazed at the tragic events tackled in this novella with realistic compassion. Ms. Worth manages to give hope to the characters, then vicarious the reader.
4.5 stars

Book Review: Driftwood Cowboy by Lenora Worth

Leisurely told as if you are walking on a beach, “Driftwood Cowboy” by Lenora Worth catches you unaware as it slowly hits you that there are three poignant stories here.

First, it’s the story of Michelle Lancaster; second is the story of Brodie Stevens – two people with broken hearts who met in Driftwood Bay. And the third is their love story – protracted and even slow at times.

Beautiful story telling told in a voice that is reminiscent of a bygone yet golden era when storytelling is an art form.

And since this is a novella, you can actually finish it in one sitting! Though you might want to prolong the enjoyment, which I did by re-reading passages.

Driftwood Cowboy is Rated T for Teens due to adult situations. There are no sex scenes in this book.

A quick and emotional read. Michelle's perfect life changed in the blink of an eye. She leaves her small town for Driftwood to come to terms with it and try to heal.
Brodie is content to let himself be in Driftwood. He has his own baggage, but is happy where he is...until he runs into Michelle. Something about her calls to him, but she is determined not to be happy. As they get to know each other, it takes time for Michelle to open up, but it is only after Brodie's past comes to the surface that Michelle starts coming to terms with the past and starts looking toward the future. But will Brodie apart of it?
A sweet romance with two characters struggling with their pasts. A quick read with two damaged characters that start healing each other and an ending that is sweetly satisfying.

I really liked this book, This book touched on so many emotions Brodie with his relationship with his parents and Michelle with her heart ache. I hope there are more books, I would love to revisit Sam.

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Lenora Worth, Tule Publishing and NetGalley.)

“Today was a tough day for Michelle Lancaster. One year ago today, her life had fallen apart.”

This was a clean contemporary romance about a woman dealing with grief, and a cowboy who didn’t like horses.

I felt quite sorry for Michelle in this book. What she had gone through was something that no mother should ever have to live through, and I could understand why she was such a mess.
I also felt sorry for Brodie, as the way his father had treated him was awful.

The storyline in this was about Michelle and Brodie getting to know one another and sharing their stories. There was a little bit of romance, but it wasn’t overt, and this was definitely a clean romance.

The ending to this was good, and I was glad they got a happy ending.
6.75 out of 10

An interesting story line I enjoyed the story and the unusual storyline. It was a romance but it also explores grief, haunted feelings, and hard past but allows time to heal, finding closure and love. It is very well written and the characters are well defined. The characters were realistic and worked well together, and they work towards healing each other. I recommend this book! I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Driftwood Cowboy by Lenora Worth is a quick and thoughtful read.

Michelle Lancaster left her home in Spirit, Louisiana, looking for a way to run away from pain and heartbreak. She takes her horse, her only real source of comfort, and goes to Driftwood Bay, Florida, for a much-needed break.

Brodie Stevens has run away from pain and heartbreak, too. He has moved to Driftwood Bay. He floats through life as captain of a charter boat company and driftwood artist.

Brodie, a self-proclaimed bachelor, sees Michelle riding her horse, Coco, on the beach and is immediately drawn to her. When he notices she's crying he wants to help; Michelle, however, wants to be left alone.

As they, alternately, try to ignore and be aware of each other, their walls start to crumble. However, can two deeply hurt people help each other?

Driftwood Cowboy deals with some very heavy issues and will have you thinking about it after you have finished the last page.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Driftwood Cowboy is an excellent book. The romance is top notch and Lenora Worth is a wonderful author. Tule Publishing has an awesome stable of authors. Love them all. You will not be disappointed in any book published by Tule Publishing.

This was a very deep story for a novella. Personally, I wouldn't even classify it as such, even though it is only 160 pages long. There is much more story packed into those few pages.

The story actually starts from Brodie's point of view. Brodie is walking through the water's edge when he sees this beautiful woman and horse coming directly at him. He realizes the woman doesn't see him until it's almost to late. The story continues with much more of it being through Brodie's eyes. Michelle is a mystery, and even when we are in her head, we only get hints of what has driven her away from home.

Brodie and Michelle are both hurting. Michelle's trauma is more recent, but Brodie has his share of demons. The two of them together, help bring each other to a better place. I especially liked the ending. I couldn't help but smile over how things eventually turned out. I gave this story 4 stars, for managing to pack a full story into a novella.

Interesting characters, deep emotion and a moving story. Great read!

I liked the storyline of the book as well as the characters but felt that the book was too short and we never got to fully know either of the main characters. I finished with a lot of unanswered questions, in particular, I would have liked the author to dwell more deeply into why Michelle felt so strongly that others were blaming her for her child's death and why her husband left (I felt as though all we learned was that he seemed supportive and then wasn't). Also, we don't get enough on the process of how Brodie decides to leave Florida and follow Michelle to Louisiana. In short, I liked what was there but just wish there was more!

Brodie was wondering around the beach when he first saw beautiful blond riding the horse.. Once he saw her face, he could not forget about her.
Brodie is well known in the town as laid back boat caption/ artist and he is trying to find who she was. When he finds out who she is, he is trying to approach her but she is not easily persuaded by his charm.
Michelle was in driftwood to rest and forget all her troubles. She has been hiding from her family and friends to start over.
Both struggles with their past. specially Michelle’s past doesn’t happen until very late in the book. What will Brodie do?? He wants to know more about her but she won’t open up to him and he has his secrets.
Will they finally find their happiness despite their past???